


Stay

by blackriddlerose



Category: Horizon: Zero Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-15
Updated: 2019-03-15
Packaged: 2019-11-18 06:09:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18114881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackriddlerose/pseuds/blackriddlerose
Summary: A slightly different take on the ending of the fight with HADES where all the traveling and fighting and stress Aloy accumulated showed it face.





	Stay

Varl watched Aloy as she stabbed at the giant metal ball, HADES, he remembered her calling it.  Then the sparks gathered around her limbs and her head was thrown back in pain and her limbs stiff.  Rushing toward her, he stopped when she seemed to recover but she seemed frozen in place, looking distant.   He took another tentative step toward her, Erend and Talanah not far behind.

"Aloy?" Varl asked, his hand reaching out toward her.  

"I'm fine," Aloy said, her voice quiet and strained.  Leaving her spear, Aloy walked over to Varl and wrapped her arms around him.  "Thank you," she whispered, getting a whiff of the earthy smell underneath the blood and sweat.  It smelled of home, of Rost's cabin and those years in the forest spent training.

Varl slowly wrapped his arms around her, his cheek resting on the top of her head.  "Anytime," he whispered back.  They stood there for a moment and Varl was getting ready to let go when he felt Aloy go limp in his arms.  "Aloy?" he called out as he dropped to his knees, his arms tightening around her.  "Aloy?" he called again, panicking some.  Erend and Talanah were beside him now as he held her close.  

"She's still breathing but her pulse is weak," Talanah said, her fingers on Aloy's neck.  "Probably just fainted from exhaustion."

"She's been going nonstop ever since the Proving," Erend added though he looked just as concerned as Varl.

"Let's take her back to the palace and let her rest," Talanah said.

Varl nodded his agreement as he scooped Aloy into his arms, surprised at how light she was.  For someone so special to his people. she was so small.

\---

Marad led Varl through the palace.  "Unfortunately, the apartment she has been using while in Meridian was destroyed in the fire, luckily, the palace was not heavily damaged, so we have more than enough rooms to spare for the tired hero of the Sundom," he said, opening a door.  "Do you remember the way back to the outside or do I need to escort you?" he offered when Varl walked Aloy over to the bed.  

"I remember," Varl said, setting Aloy down on the bed. "Thank you," he offered before Marad nodded, leaving the two alone in the large room.  It was almost as large as a hunting lodge he marveled.  So much for just one person.  

Tugging Aloy's boots and her head protector off, Varl took a step toward the door when he felt the small tug.  

Looking down, the Nora spotted Aloy's hand gripping the hem of his furs.  Varl chuckled as he pried his furs free.  It reminded of him of when he and Vala were younger and she would hold onto his shirt when they walked around the village.

Aloy's face scrunched, her fingers trying to find his furs again and Varl smiled at how cute she looked.  And how exhausted he thought.  Aloy's fingers found hi furs again and her face softened.

Looking around for anything he could replace his furs with, he was out of luck.  Sona had taken their weapons to be repaired while Aloy slept.  Shrugging his furs off, Varl placed them next to Aloy but still, her hand reached for him.

"Sona's going to kill me," Varl muttered, tugging his boots and armor off and crawling into bed next to Aloy.  "Comfier than my bed roll," he muttered, letting his tired limbs sink into the plush mattress.  

Aloy rolled closer, curling up against Varl's side, her hand gripping his shirt.  "For someone so small, you're so full of wonder," Varl whispered, his arm holding Aloy closer as he drifted off to sleep himself.

\---

Aloy woke to her face pressed against something warm.  It brought back memories from the cold winters with Rost.  Whenever she didn't want to get out of the warm bed in the mornings, he would steal her blankets to force her up.  She smiled at the thought but she knew is she didn't get up soon, the memories would turn sour.

Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes and stretched her arms above her head.  Looking over, she spotted Varl stirring some in his sleep.  "Varl?" Aloy asked, giving him a slight shake.

"Hmm," Valr grumbled, but he rolled over to face her.  "How'd you sleep?" he asked.

"Like a log, you?" Aloy asked.

"Same, I may need to bring one of these beds back with me," he said, sitting up and stretching as well.  "And before you ask, after you fainted yesterday and I carried you here, you wouldn't let go of me so I just took this side of the bed."

"Uh-huh," Aloy responded, eyebrow raised.

"On the Goddess's name," Varl answered as he stood up and gatherd his armor.  "Mother is still going to skin me alive though," he sighed. 

"I'll come with you, maybe she will go easy.  Where's my bow?" Aloy asked, looking around the room.

"Sona has it, both our bows needed some repair so she took them before I brought you here," Varl said, tugging his boots on.

"Let's go then, before you become even more tainted," Aloy teased, tugging her own boots and armor on.

"I have a Seeker's Blessing," Varl shot back, patting his pocket that housed the mark.  "And the presence of the Anointed probably doesn't hurt either," he teased back.


End file.
